East Bay nonprofit groups engaged in community organizing and/or economic development with low-income residents are invited to apply for local grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded in October.

Qualifying organizations must show that low-income people are engaged in the organization's decision-making process and that the funded project will empower people at or near the poverty level to work toward changing conditions that negatively impact their lives.

Four organizations — Community Resources for Independent Living, People United for a Better Life in Oakland, United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County and Youth Spirit Artworks-received local grants last year.

Because this grant program is an initiative of the Catholic Church, the project may not be involved in activities that are contrary to the teachings of the Church. However, groups do not need to be Catholic to apply. The funds for these local grants come from an annual collection taken in all the Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Oakland in the fall

A workshop detailing CCHD criteria and the application process will be held at 10:30 a.m. July 14 at Catholic Charities, 433 Jefferson St., Oakland. For information and to RSVP for the workshop, contact McKimmey at 510-768-3176 or mmckimmey@cceb.org.